Well its taken a few months but now I know the cause. After many Axim and cradle replacements, checking firewall settings, etc, etc, etc, it turns out that there is an issue when wm5 is connected to a PC via a port replicator or USB hub.
Plugging the PDA directly into the PC instead of using a USB hub or replicator stops the WSOD. The Microsoft web page explains….
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Hubs & Docking Stations
USB hubs and laptop docking stations have not exhibited consistent stability with Windows Mobile powered devices and ActiveSync.
Please connect the device directly to the PC USB ports if you experience connection drops or inability to connect through a USB hub or docking station.
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The Microsoft web page is located at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobi...c/default.mspx . Hopefully this will be fixed in wm6.